Los Angeles — In an attempt to expand its reach, the biggest book on the face of earth — social media outfit Facebook, Tuesday announced that it has acquired an innovative interactive iPad book maker “Push Pop Press,” the publisher of the digital version of Al Gore’s book, “Our Choice.”
Facebook intends to integrate Push Pop Press technology into the world’s leading online social media network and said it does not plans to get into the digital book business.
“We are delighted to confirm that we have acquired Push Pop Press, a startup whose groundbreaking software changes the way people publish and consume digital content,” Facebook said in statement.
Push Pop Press said in a blog post that Facebook is not going to start its own digital publishing venture, but rather the “ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be incorporated with Facebook, giving people even richer ways to share their stories.”
In their announcement on the Push Pop Press site, co-founders Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris write:
Now we are taking our publishing technology and everything we have learned and are setting off to help design the world’s largest book, Facebook.
Although Facebook is not planning to start publishing digital books, the ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be integrated with Facebook, giving people even richer ways to share their stories. With millions of people publishing to Facebook each day, we think it’s going to be a great home for Push Pop Press…
Both Push Pop Press and Facebook share a passion for improving the way we share and explore ideas and we could not be more excited about what the future holds.
“We cannot hold-back for co-founders Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris to begin, and for some of the technology, ideas and inspiration behind Push Pop Press to become part of how millions of people connect and share with each other on Facebook,” Facebook continued.
Push Pop Press earned a name for itself by devising an iOS app version of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s book “Our Choice.” The application received widespread compliment from critics and earned the company an Apple Design Award earlier this year. But it is not book publishing that Facebook is curious about, according to to Push Pop Press. It is the company’s publishing technology, which is on display in the Our Choice app — its use of text, images, audio, video and interactive graphics.
Push Pop Press’ iPad application. (Credit: Push Pop Press)
“We devised a novel way of publishing and exploring text, images, audio, video and interactive graphics, then teamed up with Melcher Media and Al Gore to create a new kind of book,” said a message at pushpoppress.com.
Push Pop has no plans to publish any more digital books.
Al Gore’s work will remain available as an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch application with future profits donated to The Climate Reality Project, according to Push Pop co-founders.
Here is Al Gore showing off the app:
{iframe width=”620″ height=”390″ align=”top”}http://www.youtube.com/embed/o1cMY9R65H8{/iframe}
And here is Mike Matas exhibiting a next generation digital book:
{iframe width=”620″ height=”390″ align=”top”}http://www.youtube.com/embed/5FPqqA712Rs{/iframe}
Facebook would not comment further on the deal, and the terms have not been disclosed.